Source: Borneo Post, 11th March 2012
KUCHING: The door is still open for the five former SPDP elected representatives to rejoin the party provided they are still interested in working towards reconciliation.
SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan yesterday said he won’t rule out the possibility of reconciliation for the sake of political progress.
“We (SPDP) are very moderate and reasonable. Reconciliation is not impossible as long as they are working towards it, and not away from it. SPDP is always open for reconciliation as it is always possible in politics.
“If they feel that they want to rejoin the party, then reapply,” said Mawan, who is also Social Development Minister, when met after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting at its headquarters in Jalan Badruddin here.
He was responding to Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s comment on Friday who said that he still believed “it is not impossible” for the five sacked elected representatives to reconcile with the party.
Taib, who is also state BN chairman, added that the group should be given time to find a way to reconcile, and that SPDP had much to lose and not in a good position without five of its elected representatives.
Agreeing that reconciliation would be a long process, Mawan said that the party could not make any shortcuts in resolving the issue as everybody’s feelings must be taken into account.
“We can be halfway or 80 per cent there (for the reconciliation), but the party is, however, guided by its constitution on this matter.”
When asked if both camps had agreed to initiate a meeting prior to the chief minister’s statement, he said SPDP had always been trying to initiate a meeting even before the party agreed to meet their request to quit the party.
He said the party needed to find out the sentiments from the opposite camp (Group of Five) as they were the ones who quit and declared a no-confidence in the party leaders.
Reminding that the five still have the responsibility of serving their constituencies and the BN, Mawan stressed the importance for all parties to work towards the reconciliation without continuing to attack each other.
When asked to comment on rumours that the group could be forming a new party called Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), which would be registered before the 13th general election, he said SPDP would not object to the formation of the new party, but would object to it joining the BN.
“It has to be through a consensus, but SPDP’s answer will be a very big no.”
The new party is said to be the brainchild of Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru assemblyman), Assistant Public Utilities (Water Supply) Minister Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi assemblyman), Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus (Bekenu assemblywoman), Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang.